Craps is dice game that is popular in casinos and that may also be played outside of a casino setting. Casino craps is also known as “shooting dice” or “rolling dice.” Casino craps is a game played by multiple players or a single player betting on the outcome of the dice roll or rolls. One player rolls the dice and is typically referred to as the “shooter” or “roller.” Each player may take a turn in rolling the dice, if desired.
The rules of play for conventional casino craps are well known. In general, in craps, the players make wagers on the outcome of a roll of a pair of standard, six-sided dice or a series of rolls of a pair of dice, as may be determined by the casino in certain cases. The dice are first rolled by the shooter (the shooter's “initial come out” roll) in order to establish a point, which may be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Any other number rolled results in a pass line bet being either won (i.e. rolling a 7 or 11, referred to as a “natural winner”) or lost (i.e., rolling a 2, 3, or 12, referred to as a “natural loser”). The shooter will continue to roll the dice until he or she establishes a point. Once a point is established, the shooter will continue to roll the dice until he or she either rolls the point again (referred to as “making the pass” or “making the point”) or rolls a seven (referred to as a “seven out” or “sevening out”). If the shooter rolls the point again, then a pass line bet is won and the shooter may then roll the dice again for another come out. The shooter will continue to roll the dice until he or she sevens out, at which time the shooter loses his or her right to roll the dice. The dice are then passed to a new shooter who makes his or her initial come out roll.
In a typical casino craps setting, employees and players stand at a large, elongated craps table. Typically, the craps table has a double layout that is displayed on a felt playing surface. The layout provides space for the various betting options available in the game, and may also display the odds of particular rolls and/or set forth payouts for various rolls. The layout typically has a left side section, a center section, and a right side section, with the two side sections mirroring each other. A typical craps table may accommodate up to sixteen players at any given time.
The game of craps is considered by many to be fun and exciting. Many players are drawn to craps for this reason and also due to its fast pace and lively atmosphere, particularly in the casino setting. Players and observers alike often roar or cheer with each roll of the dice. However, there are a number of drawbacks associated with the typical casino craps game. In general, space is limited around the craps table, which limits the number of players that may play at any given time. A crowded craps table may discourage would-be players, who may tire of waiting their turn to play and elect to do something else, such as playing other casino games or leaving the casino to do something else entirely. This, in turn, limits the casino's revenue from craps. While casinos can increase their craps revenue by providing additional craps tables, there are of course limits to the number of craps tables that a given casino may accommodate, due to space and other limitations.
Further, each craps table game is typically operated by multiple casino employees, who may be referred to as a “table crew.” A typical table crew may include at least four casino personnel, including a boxman (who oversees the craps game, manages the chips used for the game, and is responsible for handling all of the cash presented by the players), a stickman (who is responsible for operating an elongated stick that is used to move the dice around the craps table and who announces the results of each roll of each die of the pair of dice) and one or more dealers (who are responsible for managing all the bets placed by the players and who collect losing bets from and pay winning bets to the players). Therefore, a casino offering multiple craps tables will need to employ multiple table crews with numerous employees to operate them.
A need therefore exists for a table game system and method that expands the play of a craps table by allowing a player to wager on a live-action craps table game being played at a table in a casino or other gaming establishment without requiring the player to be physically present at the craps table. A need further exists for a table game system and method that allows one craps table with one table crew to service an unlimited number of players wagering on any one roll of each die of the pair of dice. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other, related advantages.